Em-barrow-sing
Hornets fail to spark in a game to forget.
Forget the fact that this was the dullest, scrappiest game of Rugby league you'll see all season. Forget the fact that Hornets repeatedly coughed the ball and conceded more penalties than you can shake a stick at. Forget that Barrow played it straight and simple and sucked Hornets into a game of rudiments. Forget, even, that for the most part, Hornets looked like they wanted to be there less than we did.

The result of this game turned on one moment of dumb football that sent the sizeable and vociferous travelling support into paroxysms of disbelief.

On 76 minutes, Hornets had clawed their way back into a 20-18 lead. From the kick-off posession, Hornets played out five tackles to take possession into Barrow territory. Given the scenario, what would you do with the last tackle?

It had all started so well, too. With just two and a half minutes gone slick close-quarters passing from Lee Doran and Paul Anderson launched Andy 'the train' Saywell from 50 metres; he blasted his way through his opposite number, then the full back to score.

Aided by a huge downfield penalty, Barrow redressed the balance. The Hornets defence gave Holt way too much time on the ball and he picked the perfect pass for Osborne to join the line at speed and score. Holt added the extras - and a penalty on the half hour - to stretch Barrow's lead.

But Hornets plugged away. First a big break by Gareth Price, his perfectly timed pass to send Birdseye in pulled back by referee Thaler - the only person in the ground to think it forward. Then a short pass by Birdseye to Gorski at close range, the ball bouncing loose and the chance gone.

On the hooter, it was Birsdseye who this time grabbed the four pointer for himself; jinking through for the try and adding the goal to send Hornets in 8-10 up.

The second half began with a Sam Butterworth break prematurely halted by Osborne's try-saving tackle. Barrow took heart from this, and took the ball downfield; with the Hornets defence napping, Holt scooted from acting half to score, untouched, from two yards. Awful, really. Holt again added two penalties to give Barrow an unlikely, but deserved 18-10 lead.

Hornets introduced Phil Cantillon to the fray and, from his first touch, he had the Raiders retreating with his scampers round the ruck.

Hornets took advantage of a rare penalty on 69 minutes, Giles joining the attack to score, Sam Butterworth adding the goal and at 18-16, there was a glint of a reprieve.

Indeed, Hornets' fans thought they'd seen the 'get out of jail' card played on 76 minutes. A 40 metre break fom Richard Varkulis took Hornets upfield, his pass inside found Bowker in support and with 6 minutes remaining, Hornets were in front.

Hornets had clawed their way back into a 20-18 lead. From the kick-off posession, Hornets played out five tackles to take possession into Barrow territory. Given the scenario, what would you do with the last tackle?

While the Hornets fans screamed for a deep kick behind the Barrow defence to turn them round and force them to play the closing minutes in their own half, Radney Bowker ran the ball at the defensive line. Wrapped up by defenders the ball was panicked back to Sam Butterworth in an untenable position and the ball went, impotently, to ground.

Instead of starting with the ball on their on line Barrow launched their last ditch attack from half way. They cooly drove the ball to the posts whhere stand-off Colley found Horton arriving at speed - enough speed to shrug off tacklers and score by the post. Holt added the conversion - six from six for him - and it was, thankfully, all over.

So, from being the near-perpetrators of a shock result a fortnight ago, Hornets find themselves on the receiving end of a result that wil leave all but the hardy 650-or so Barrow fans scratching their heads.

Make no mistake, the game was a bad 'un and referee Thaler did seem to be using his own set of Dada-ist laws at times, but Hornets ability to do the wrong thing at the right time was the major factor contributing to their downfall.

A very bad day at the office for Hornets - and one that Bobbie Goulding won't be happy with, given the potential in this side.

Indeed, between Saywell's opener and Bowker's late effort Hornets played little, if any, lucid football; drawn, as they were, into a game that suited Barrow's style. Credit to Peter Roe, he sent his team out to do a job on Hornets and we fell for it hook, line and stinker.

One to forget, for sure - so let's forget it and move on...